The process will create a fund “to be distributed to victim-survivors as equitably as possible,” the diocese stated.
“Without this process, it is likely that diocesan funds would be exhausted by the first cases to proceed to trial, leaving nothing for the many other victim-survivors still waiting for their day in court,” the diocese noted.
Sacramento is one of many dioceses to file for bankruptcy in recent years, including its neighbors, the Diocese of Oakland and the Archdiocese of San Francisco, as well as several New York dioceses.
“It is the sickening sin of sexual abuse — and the failure of Church leadership to address it appropriately — that brought us to this place,” said Soto, who has overseen the Diocese of Sacramento since 2008. “I must atone for these sins.”
Soto previously announced his plan to file for bankruptcy in a December 2023 letter, where he said that bankruptcy was the “only respectful, transparent, and fair way to address the substantial number of claims” and “sustain the sanctifying, teaching, and charitable work” of the diocese.
California’s Child Victims Act allows civil claims of childhood sexual abuse to be filed by victims until age 40, or five years after discovering the damages from the abuse. Previously, claims had to be filed by age 26, or within three years of discovering damages from the abuse.
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